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The Brewers threw it back on the way to their first World Series title.

Before every game, the Brewers indulged in cigarettes while they took batting practice, hearkening back to the baseball days of yore in which players were synonymous with tobacco usage.

“You walk by the cage and see the cigs lit,” outfielder Christian Yelich told ESPN, “and you’re like, the boys are ready to rock.”

It’s not uncommon to see players celebrating a massive win with cigars in the middle of their champagne-and-beer-fueled clubhouse parties, though cigarettes are seemingly making a comeback in the big leagues. Several Guardians players were spotted enjoying darts after winning the AL Central last season,

This time around, the Brewers used them as “rally heaters,” as a way to get up for big games.

It worked.

Milwaukee entered the 2026 postseason as MLB’s top seed on the strength of a 103-59 record — one of two teams to break the century mark — and ran roughshod through their playoff foes, compiling an 11-2 mark against the Padres (3-1), Dodgers (4-0) and Rays (4-1).

In the NL Division series against San Diego, they batted .250 with a .688 OPS, and, much like the tips of their cigarettes, were just heating up.

Their sweep of the Dodgers came with a .250/.445/.792 slash line and 2.25 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. Against the Rays, with everything on the line, they mashed to the tune of .280/.396/745.

Players celebrated with them, too. Jake Bauers, Sal Frelick and Brandon Woodruff were caught taking drags following their World Series-clinching 4-1 win over the Rays.

Per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, every MLB team has “at least one player who relishes a dart now and again,” even after baseball banned smokeless tobacco as part of the 2016 collective bargaining agreement.

With baseball about to enter what promises to be a lengthy shutdown during the latest round of CBA talks, the Brewers have time to enjoy some extra puffs.

Good morning, LSB.

Evan Grant writes that the Rangers will likely wait out labor negotiations before attempting to fill the holes on their roster, which Grant calls a dangerous path.

Kennedi Landry takes a look at four Rangers who could walk away with some hardware after the 2026 season.

The Athletic provides this handy lockout survival guide, might wanna bookmark that one.

And can the Brewers become a small market dynasty?

That’s all for this morning. Smell ya later.

Some Brewers players had an extraordinary celebration after Milwaukee won the 2026 World Series.

Brewers third baseman David Hamilton and his wife Mallory Hamilton announced they’re expecting a baby — as well as Brewers pitcher Dustin May and his wife Amelia May after Milwaukee’s 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in a clinching Game 5.

Both couples shared adorable infant onesies while celebrating at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.

“Daddy’s good luck charm & cherry on top of this amazing season,” Mallory wrote, including a snapshot of the pair in an Instagram post. “What a year!!!! WORLD SERIES CHAMPS BABYYYYYY. Baby Hamilton 2027 #dadstrength.”

David and Mallory were married in January after getting engaged in early 2025 when he was with the Red Rox.

The Brewers selected David in the eighth round, with the 253rd overall selection, of the 2019 MLB Draft, before trading him to Boston in a deal for outfielder Hunter Renfroe. Boston traded David back to Milwaukee in February.

This is Dustin’s fourth career World Series title — he won in 2020, 2024, and 2025 with the Los Angeles Dodgers — but his first as an expecting father.

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“We’ll be telling Baby May about the 2026 World Series for forever ,” Amelia wrote in an Instagram post, including an image of the two holding a No. 21 onesie.

They will celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary in December.

This was the Brewers’ first World Series title in franchise history.

Brewers catcher William Contreras was named the 2026 World Series MVP.

The Mariners need a lot to go right to get back to the postseason. A lot will probably go right.

One of the things I pointed out in my season recap was that the Mariners are in a tricky spot, in terms of looking ahead. They posted 30.1 fWAR as a team in 2026, which ranked 21st in the majors, and 5.5 of that came from Randy Arozarena. Level performance across the board in 2027 would make the Mariners a bottom five group. Not only that, but to return to the postseason, the Mariners would need to add roughly 15 WAR, from internal improvements and external additions, an amount that feels insurmountable after an all-time bad season. As I wrote at the time:

“… that’s just to get back to mere Wild Card contenders. A bad injury, an underperformance, a failed development, a frowning pythagorus, and the Mariners are out of the playoff picture, firmly trending into a rebuild after six years of a 10-year plan.”

Today, I want to walk through that math, and present the good, great, and horrifying scenarios I see on the back of my napkin.

I took the top nine hitters for 2027 currently on the roster. It works out that this could very well be the Mariners starting lineup on Opening Day. I also found the WAR for the rest of the roster — that is, the “not-top nine.” I don’t much feel like putting names to that group yet, but for the sake of budgeting WAR, we need to remember that bench players typically aren’t very good and subtract some value.

We can see the top nine posted 11.3 WAR in 2026. That is deeply concerning. Obviously, Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez were shells of themselves due to injury, and Josh Naylor and Brendan Donovan were similarly disappointing. But this total also reflects the Mariners are set to give three spots to 2 1/2 rookies. There’s tons of uncertainty about this group, and if they repeat their performance again, it’ll be one of the worst lineups in the majors.

Of course, roughly seven months ago, the projections were far friendlier. The ZiPS column you see here isn’t the latest in ZiPS Technology. It’s instead year two of Dan Syzmorski’s three-year rolling projection he released last December. In other words, it’s old data and missing the latest sample, but I think it’s worth looking at retrospectively. ZiPS once thought these batters to be among the best in the majors.

Now, I also included a third column here, where I sort of make my own guess (heavy emphasis on the “guess”). I came up with about 22.8 WAR, a notable drop from ZiPS but still enough to rank them roughly eighth in 2027.

I gave the assumption that Cal and Julio would each bounce back, though I didn’t think too hard about what that might look like and just gave them 10 total WAR. Donovan I walked back from ZiPS because of injury concerns. I also assumed solid seasons for Naylor, Cole Young, and Dominic Canzone. The bigger question mark is the 2 1/2 rookies. I’m fairly bullish on them overall, and gave them a total of 5 WAR, but I think you could make the case for more.

I did the same with the pitchers. Now, here I have a bit of a treat for you. In my brief tenure at FanGraphs, I wrote about Kade Anderson. While doing so, Syzmborski generously granted me an updated version of his ZiPS model for Mariners pitchers. So rather than being from pre-2026, these figures are roughly from August. His model is still quite impressed with this group.

Personally, I gave Bryan Woo a level performance for his third consecutive four-win season. I gave modest bounce backs to Logan Gilbert and George Kirby, though a step back for Emerson Hancock. I don’t know what to make of Bryce Miller and his tenuous health, and I figured 0.5 is probably what he’d earn out of the bullpen. I also just deferred to ZiPS on Kade Anderson. The bullpen I tried not to think too hard about.

Ultimately, I projected the Mariners at 17.1 WAR for 2027. That would also rank about eighth in the majors, and I think there’s room for optimism if you want to see more. I fear I’ve under projected Anderson by half — I was very, very impressed by his final few starts. I’m also not even projecting Ryan Sloan, and it’s possible he could be the top pitching prospect in baseball come spring.

On the other hand, the Mariners were the very worst pitching staff in the majors in the second half. If we assume that’s a better representation of their true talent, I’m over-projecting them by like 15 WAR. I don’t think that’s the case, but even something in the middle would be hard to overcome.

The Mariners’ roster as currently assembled was once projected for 43.4 WAR, making them one of the five best teams in the majors. If we hedge that projection for what we saw in 2026, they still look like a roughly 40-WAR team. That’s roughly where they’ve been entering the last several seasons, and is generally good news for those looking for a bounce back.

Where could they add? Probably everywhere. They could use another starting infielder. They could upgrade the bench and try to limit some of the negative value there. The bullpen remains barren and there are tons of good options available in free agency. I might even suggest another arm in the rotation, after seeing what happened down the stretch in 2026. That’s what’s exciting about the roster as it stands: It’s young, it’s projectable, and there are still tons of holes. A few good additions, a few bounce backs, and a few positive developments would not only represent a return to form, but would make the Mariners truly one of the best teams in the majors. The scaffolding for greatness is still there.

Still, this group, as it stands, posted 23.1 WAR last year. Most of that came during the first three months of the season. Level performance in 2027 would make this one of the worst teams in the majors. Heck, even a solid amount of improvement only gets them back to last year’s mark of 30 WAR (again, Arozarena did a ton to stave off an absolute worst-case scenario).

And so, the offseason begins at the crossroads for the organization. One way is dynasty, the other a cliff.

With the 2026 MLB season officially in the books — and with the impending lockout threatening to delay the 2027 season — the stage is already being set for another smash season of Banana Ball. 

On Oct. 28, Banana Ball held its player draft for the 2027 season when 39 players were picked by the six teams in a selection ceremony that streamed on YouTube live from Historic Grayson Stadium in Savannah. Over 2,000 players applied to join the league for the upcoming season, many of whom were invited to tryouts across the country. Sixty were invited to the third-ever draft and sat with their families to see if their names were selected. Two former members of the Colorado Rockies happened to be part of the chosen few.

Tonight, the Banana Ball All-Stars vs. Future Stars Game will take place in Savannah. First pitch is slated for 4:30 p.m. MDT and will be streamed live on the Banana Ball YouTube channel. That will be the last Banana Ball action until their seven-month, 75-city World Tour that will hit Mexico, the U.S. and Canada — including two games at Coors Field — takes off in February.

Here are a few interesting things to know about Banana Ball in 2027.

Two Rockies picked in third-ever draft

The biggest surprise pick of the 2026 draft came with the fifth pick in the fifth round when the Savannah Bananas selected 12-year MLB veteran and former Rockie Charlie Culberson. Culberson made his Banana debut in 2023 when he made a guest appearance at Truist Park in Atlanta, doing a backflip before his at-bat (he popped out).

Culberson came to Colorado in 2012 in a trade with the San Francisco Giants for Marco Scutaro. He played with the Rockies from 2012-14, going back and forth from the then-Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox and MLB, along with stints on the IL for a lumbar disc injury. Culberson elected for free agency after the 2015 season and went on to play for the Dodgers, Braves and Rangers. In his Rockies career, the infielder played 142 games and hit .227/.273/.327 with a .600 OPS.

Three picks earlier, the Firefighters drafted RHP Brendan Hardy, who spent two years playing for the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats and Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes after the Rockies picked him up in the Rule 5 draft from the New York Mets in 2023. 

In 2024, Hardy made 34 relief appearances, posting a 4.08 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 39.2 innings. He went on a tear in the middle of the season, only giving up one run over an 18.2-inning stretch.

In 2025, Hardy only made two appearances before an injury ended his season and tenure in the farm system. He spent 2026 with the independent Milwaukee Milkmen. 

The draft was definitely a great show. Here’s the quick recap.

Coors Field is going Bananas again

Denver will play host to Banana Ball on May 29 and 30 when the Loco Beach Coconuts and Party Animals will face off at Coors Field. Fans interested in attending can enter the Banana Ball lottery by midnight on Oct. 31 for a chance to buy tickets.

In August, the Savannah Bananas played the Indianapolis Clowns in front of two sold-out crowds that included the debut of Kristen Bell having the time of her life doing a “Frozen”-“Dirty Dancing” mashup with Broadway star and Banana Derek Klena.

Banana Ball first came to Denver in 2025 when the Bananas took on the Firefighters. After that season, Purple Row’s own Samantha Bradfield wrote about how the Rockies would have fared if they played by Banana rules.

WPBL stars are back as Bananas

For Women’s Professional Baseball League fans, good news: The same core of WPBLers will be back in Banana Ball action in 2027, along with a new addition.

Val Perez, a shortstop for the New York Heights, is back as the manager and player for the Firefighters. A former real-life firefighter, Perez was the only WPBLer at Wednesday’s draft as she announced the selections for her squad.

On Tuesday, four stars from the inaugural WPBL season re-signed with their respective teams. Ashton Lansdell, a third baseman for the WPBL Champion Los Angeles Queens, will be back with the Party Animals. Fellow Queen Mo’ne Davis will rejoin the Indianapolis Queens and can pitch or play center field. Another two-way player, Kelsie Whitmore (RHP/CF) of the San Francisco Firebelles, will be back with the Savannah Bananas, while New York Queens catcher Denae Benetis will return to the Loco Beach Coconuts.

San Francisco’s Jill Albayati will make her Banana Ball debut in 2027 as a RHP/DH for the 2026 Banana Ball Champion Texas Tailgaters.

First-ever Entertainment round

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a professional opera singer play baseball? How about a hitter with a bat on fire at the plate?

Well, you don’t have to wonder anymore.

Those were two of the selections in the first-ever Entertainment round of the Banana Ball draft. After the five-round draft (plus three additional supplemental picks) ended, the show really started. While all of the entertainment selections have earned the title, including many who can sing and dance like they were made for Broadway, two players stole the show.

John Reisen, an award-winning American tenor who also happens to be a good pitcher, sang on his way to the podium after being nabbed by the Firefighters.

The Loco Beach Coconuts made a nice addition to their surfer vibe with Hawaiian fire dancer Kaleikaumaka Grebin. The talented outfielder not only impressed Banana Ball scouts with his baseball skills, but also with his ability to wield and twirl a flaming bat during his tryout.

The draft included many Banana Ball-like festivities, including a selection that mimicked the rose ceremony from “The Bachelor/Bachelorette,” featured a guest appearance by the sorting hat from “Harry Potter” and saw Tailgaters manager Joe Mukulik jump off the podium to smash a table in true Buffalo Bills tailgater fashion.

After the draft ended, Fans First Entertainment director of recruiting and player personnel, Berry Aldridge, explained the “first, best and only” criteria that make a great Banana Ball player.

“Can you be the first to do something, the best to do something, or the only person to do something?” Aldridge asked.

With an opera singer and fire dancer, and all the amazing trick plays yet to come, 2027 figures to be another stilt-sized step forward full of firsts, bests and onlys for Banana Ball.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Good morning friends and happy Friday!

The offseason is now one day old. Let’s catch you up on everything that’s happening as teams prepare for the long winter ahead.

In Mariners news…

• In case you missed it, the Mariners announced decisions on a trio of team options.
• The Lookout Landing staff debated the merits of Joe Espada and Jason Kanzler as the next manager of the Mariners.
• The Mariners claimed outfielder Grant McCray off waivers from the Giants.
• Rick Rizzs seems to be enjoying his farewell tour. Shout out to Issaquah!

Around the league…

• In a day-one offseason trade, the Athletics acquired outfielder Nate Eaton from the Red Sox.
• The Tigers acquired infielder Tsung-Che Cheng from the Red Sox for cash considerations.
• The Astros have reportedly zeroed in on the Brewers’ Matt Kleine for their general manager opening.
• Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai will not opt out of his deal with the club.
• Right-hander Dustin May declined his mutual option with the Brewers, making him a free agent.
• The Diamondbacks are expected to listen to trade offers on star second baseman Ketel Marte this winter.
• Steve Adams at MLB Trade Rumors listed the top 40 trade candidates for the coming offseason.
• Rob Mains at Baseball Prospectus wonders if the Rays and Brewers truly earn the narrative as “small ball” World Series contenders. ($)
• Anthony Dabbundo at The Ringer celebrated the Milwaukee Brewers for finally getting to the mountaintop after years of brilliance.

The Royals need a lot of work after losing 93 games last year. There will likely be a flurry of action this month before the labor deal expires in December. What would you do if you were running the Royals this offseason?

The Royals currently have 35 players on the 40-man roster.

Catchers (2): Carter Jensen, Salvador Perez

Infielders (6): Maikel Garcia, Nick Loftin, Michael Massey, Vinnie Pasquantino, Tyler Tolbert, Bobby Witt Jr.

Outfielders (5): Jac Caglianone, Isaac Collins, Kyle Isbel, Matthew Lugo, John Rave

Pitchers (22): Ryan Bergert, Spencer Bivens, Noah Cameron, Steven Cruz, Jose Cuas, Randy Dobnak, Carlos Estévez, Carlos Durán, Lucas Erceg, Tony Gonsolin, Anthony Gose, Nolan Hoffman, Ben Kudrna, Seth Lugo, Daniel Lynch IV, James McArthur, Nate Pearson, Mitch Spence, Connor Thomas, Michael Wacha, Beck Way, Steven Zobac

Luinder Avila, Stephen Kolek, Nick Mears, and Cole Ragans will be activated from the 60-day Injured List and will join the 40-man roster soon. Carson Roccaforte and Lucas Braun need to be added to the 40-man roster, and you may want to add Brett Squires, Gavin Cross, Felix Arronde, and/or Daniel Vazquez, among other players. Do you add any of them and who do you remove?

The Royals have a $13 million club option on closer Carlos Estévez with a $2 million buyout, and a $2.5 million club option on Tony Gonsolin. Do you exercise either of those?

The Royals have nine players eligible for arbitration with the following projected salaries.

• Randy Dobnak $2,300,000
• Lucas Erceg $2,300,000
• Anthony Gose $1,100,000
• Kyle Isbel $3,500,000
• Daniel Lynch IV $1,800,000
• Michael Massey $3,200,000
• James McArthur $800,000
• Nick Mears $2,200,000
• Nate Pearson, $2,000,000

Do you non-tender any of them?

The Royals have seven players under contract for next year.

• Seth Lugo $21.5 million
• Bobby Witt Jr. $20.111 million
• Michael Wacha $14 million
• Cole Ragans $7.583 million
• Maikel Garcia $7.26 million
• Vinnie Pasquantino $6.9 million
• Salvador Perez $6.5 million

Those salaries total just over $83 million. Combine them with your arbitration-eligible salaries, any buyouts, and the salaries of pre-arbitration players. Owner John Sherman projects around $30 million for the team to spend this offseason. Here is a list of eligible free agents. Who do you pursue?

Would you have the Royals active on the trade market? You can use the Trade Simulator at Baseball Trade Values to get an idea of what would be a fair trade.

What does your offseason look like to get the Royals back to contention?

We have a new World Series champion, and the frightening thing is that the Milwaukee Brewers still have a strong farm system. You thought being dominated by the Los Angeles Dodgers was no fun? Just wait, because this could go on quite a while. The total dismantling of a deep Tampa Bay Rays club served a little added notice that the Brewers have broken through and may be here to stay at the top of the game for a while.

Turns out they didn’t need Tarik Skubal at all. We’ll see who feels like they do really need the former Tigers ace this offseason, but the wait could be a while. In the meantime, let’s line up the offseason with all the key dates, and key decisions for the Detroit Tigers.

As of 9:00 a.m. ET on Thursday morning, pending free agents were eligible to decide on player options and file for free agency. Pending free agents can only talk with their current club until Monday. The trading desk is now open as well, and a few deals and decisions have already gone through.

Point being, you can expect that the Tigers have most of their decisions in the chute already so we’ll hear from them shortly.

Gold Glove winners will be announced on Sunday, November 1. Dillon Dingler is probably a lock to take home the award for top defensive catcher in the American League, while Zach McKinstry has a pretty good shot at the utilityman Gold Glove.

On Monday, November 2nd, the Contemporary Baseball Era Hall of Fame ballot will be announced. Silver Slugger Award finalists will also be released.

Free agency begins five days after the World Series ends on Monday, November 2nd, at 5:00 p.m. ET. This is also the last day for qualifying offer decisions. The Tigers don’t have anyone to use a qualifying offer on this offseason. The biggest news on this day will come as the Tigers will have to reinstate players off the 60-day injured list, and decide on club option decisions.

The Tigers have eight players to reinstate off the 60-day injured list.

LHP Bailey Horn

RHP Reese Olson

RHP Will Vest

SS Trey Sweeney

OF Kerry Carpenter

OF Parker Meadows

OF Wenceel Pérez

OF Matt Vierling

The Tigers can release minor league outfielder Corey Julks easily to free up one spot. Gleyber Torres and Jack Flaherty are both free agents, as are RHP Burch Smith, RHP Tyler Kinley, and RHP Jacob Waguespack. The Tigers have a $12 million option on RHP Kenley Jansen that they can exercise or buy out for $2 million. They hold a $10 million club option for RHP Drew Anderson. That one is, I think, sure to be exercised, as we wrote about this week.

Currently, leaving aside Jansen and Anderson, the Tigers have 33 players on the 40-man roster before the 60-day IL players are added back. Should they keep both relievers on their options, they’ll have 35 players on the 40-man, with the list of eight players above to be added.

Beyond Julks, there are some cuts they could make that wouldn’t be too painful. RHP Brenan Hanifee is useful here and there but not terribly necessary, though the Tigers need right-handed relief help of all sorts. Keeping Jace Jung just seems a bit cruel since he has no real chance to crack the major league roster. Lefty Jake Miller will probably be kept for his potential, but two years of injury trouble may have changed some minds. Easier to release perhaps is Sawyer Gipson-Long, who wasn’t able to get it going in his first full season post-Tommy John. Horn underwent Tommy John this summer, so there’s a possibility as well.

I would bet that the Tigers keep Sweeney one more year and try to sort out his bat for infield depth, but that ship may be sailing. Kerry Carpenter is pretty much guaranteed to be kept, if only to see if the oft-injured outfielder can get back to form next spring. Probably the same is true for Parker Meadows, whose fluke injury this year cost him nearly the whole season. He’s talented enough that the Tigers will give it one more go. Wenceel Pérez and Matt Vierling are in greater danger to be DFA’d, in my opinion. Would the Tigers make a bigger move, trading Spencer Torkelson or one of their injured outfielders? Eh, it’s possible but does not feel Scott Harris-ish.

From November 9-12 will be the big award announcements. Rookies of the Year, namely our own Kevin McGonigle, will be announced on Monday, November 9. Managers of the Year will be announced on the 10th, the Cy Young awards are announced on Tuesday the 11th, and the MLB awards will be out on Thursday the 12th. All those announcements are set for 7:00 p.m. ET on MLB Network.

The GM meetings are scheduled in Las Vegas from November 10-12. Typically discussions are more about procedural and rule issues, but with the impending CBA negotiations, perhaps there will be a little more news than normal.

Players who have a qualifying offer extended to them have to decide on that by November 17th. This year the qualifying offer is $23.15 million for one year, with a no-trade clause included that lasts until June 15th of the next season.

November 17th is also the date for teams to finalize their 40-man rosters and protect prospects from the Rule 5 draft. The big ones for the Tigers this year are OF Zyhir Hope and INF Max Anderson, who will both be added. That’s another layer of complication on the 40-man roster decisions discussed earlier.

November 20th is the non-tender deadline, by which time teams must offer contacts to pre-arbitration and arbitration eligible players for 2027. Players don’t have to accept at that point, and eligible players may wait for arbitration, but that will bring a new CBA and new rules into play as well.

December 1st is the big day when the collective bargaining agreement expires, and at that point the owners will lockout players, and that battle will begin. The league has already sent out guidelines for team conduct during the lockout. Last time, teams took down all player likenesses and a few other amusing and petty moves, but more importantly, teams and players cease communication at that point, except for private matters.

The Winter Meetings are set to begin on December 7 in San Diego, but they were cancelled during the last lockout and presumably will be again. That will also delay the draft lottery, currently set for December 8th, as well as the Rule 5 draft, currently set for December 9th. Last time the Rule 5 major league portion was cancelled, though the minor league phase was completed, involving only non 40-man roster players.

So, that’s the landscape, but obviously the smart money says that very little will happen until the CBA is complete. The Tigers will have plenty of roster decisions to make, but beyond that we’ll have to see if much in the way of free agency or trading goes on. It should be interesting to see, because early moves could signal to a degree which way teams believe the CBA negotiations are going to blow. If there’s a real possibility of a salary cap actually being put into place, one of the chief indicators could be Scott Boras, who knows which way things are going to blow as well as anyone, deciding to lean in and get Tarik Skubal signed to a new team before the rules change. I don’t expect that to happen, but everyone will be grasping for signs and portents this winter either way.

36-year-old Robert Stock had last pitched for the Mets on July 20, 2021, in Cincinnati. James McCann was behind the plate, calling the signs in a pre-pitchcom world. The left side of the infield was populated by Jonathan Villar and J.D. Davis. Pete Alonso hit the 88th home run of his career in the top of the first inning. Not a single other player to appear in that game for the Mets was still on their 2026 team, and only two players on the Reds (Tyler Stephenson and Eugenio Suárez) were still on their 2026 roster. But somehow, against all odds, Robert Stock — after three years without major league action, two stints in international leagues, and a pair of appearances in 2025 with the Red Sox — found his way back to the Mets on August 2, 2026.

That 2021 Mets team was on the brink of a late-season collapse when Stock made his two appearances for the team. By the time Stock joined the 2026 Mets, there was nothing left to collapse. No division lead to be blown. The Mets were simply hoping to hold the raft together and find signs of life in the midst of an extraordinarily disappointing campaign. Stock and Sean Manaea were the two veterans in a rotation otherwise filled with energetic young prospects looking to prove themselves — but Stock’s story almost made him fit better with the latter group than the former. There were no guarantees. With each outing, he was pitching for the chance to earn one more day in the big leagues.

Stock was first promoted for a spot start against the Marlins. He leveraged that glimmer of an opportunity into seven starts, one relief appearance, and 30.1 innings of work over the season’s final two months before finger numbness sidelined him. There were some gems in there, too. On August 14, he allowed just one unearned run over 4.1 innings against the Nationals (who scored the third-most runs in MLB this year). On August 19, he allowed a run over 4.1 innings while striking out six against the Padres, arguably the hottest team in the National League at the time. And on August 31, he fired 5.1 shutout innings against the American League pennant winners at Tropicana Field, striking out four Rays batters while walking none.

Stock’s less-than-glamorous 5.93 ERA paints an incomplete picture of his performance. His 3.92 FIP indicates bad batted-ball luck, likely assisted by the Mets’ subpar defense. He struck out just 29 batters in 30.1 innings, a relatively inconspicuous number in today’s fireballing times, but he walked just 15 and allowed just two homers. He also suffered from a pair of disastrous outings, allowing eight runs in Pittsburgh and seven runs in Milwaukee, which inflated his ERA. He allowed one or zero runs in four of his five other starts.

So the question looms: Will Stock be a part of the Mets’ 2027 plans? The case against him is a perfectly reasonable one. He’ll be 37 years old, meaning his 59th-percentile fastball velocity (95.0 mph) will likely only go down from here. His underlying metrics were nothing to write home about, with relatively low chase and whiff rates despite a low hard-hit rate on the positive side. The Mets also have five clear starting options heading into Spring Training, with youngsters Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, Zac Thornton, and Jonah Tong to go along with the veteran lefty Manaea. Stock’s position would likely be that of a reliever or swingman, and he doesn’t quite have the wipeout stuff the Mets might look for in a two-inning bullpen arm to serve that role.

The case for Stock? It takes guts to make it back to the majors after years away. It takes guts to perform under pressure with each outing potentially being the last of your career. And it takes good enough stuff and good enough command to show the glimpses of success that Stock did in August and September. 

Injuries will always strike. Severe underperformance is always possible. (The current Mets brass should know those two principles better than anyone). If by May 2027, the Mets are already in emergency need of a spot starter or even a full-on rotation replacement, Stock is certainly a more attractive option than someone with zero command, zero experience, or zero ability to meet the moment.

Plus, his twitter account makes for quite an entertaining follow. And if nothing else, Mets fans can always use a bit of humor in their oft-torturous summers.

The Desert Dogs have played four games this week, and in three of them they’ve scored at least nine runs; in the other one they’ve scored just one. They’re 0-3 when scoring nine or more, and they’ve won that game in which they managed to put a single run across. The latest of these high-scoring losses came on Thursday against Peoria with just a single Dodger in the batting lineup, Eduardo Quintero.

Out of the leadoff spot he occupied in previous games, Quintero was batting third despite his underwhelming numbers in the AFL. Much like the rest of the Desert Dogs offense, he had a productive performance, reaching base in three of his five plate appearances, including two walks and a hit. Once again, it was the same reliable aspects of Quintero’s game that shone here, with the two walks and a stolen base, his sixth in as many attempts.

Touching on how the Desert Dogs blew this game in which they led 10-6 at one point, it was partially the responsibility of a Dodger pitcher, the only one who took the mound in this affair. Williams Salazar got the ball in the seventh and proceeded to walk three and give up a hit, recording just a single out, taking not only the blown save but also the loss in this one.

Thursday score

Peoria 13, Glendale 10

Friday schedule

The Dodgers’ left-hander Luke Fox will be the starter for the Desert Dogs on this Friday afternoon as they hope to avoid a third straight defeat, facing the Salt River Rafters. The game starts at 1:30 p.m. (PT).

The Milwaukee Brewers are your 2026 World Series Champions. Neat! But whenever the World Series wraps up, there’s only so much time that you can take thinking about the Fall Classic before the Major League Baseball offseason picks up.

Normally, there is a very standardized cadence to this whole thing. In most years, there is some activity that takes place pretty soon after the World Series. In December, the Winter Meetings happen, which is where a lot of wheelin’ and dealin’ gets done and where setups for future wheelin’ and dealin’ happen. During the month afterwards, most moves happen, with some inevitable stragglers in January and February.

This, ah, is not most years. In December, the most recent Competitive Bargaining Agreement between the MLB Player’s Union and the owners will expire. That will almost inevitably lead to a lockout on December 1, and everything will be at a stalemate until parties can agree on a deal.

That’s quite a bit of uncertainty. And if you thought that this uncertainty would likely mean that teams would hesitate to spend money in the short period before a potential lockout, you would be incorrect: expect a fast and furious month of November.

We know this is likely to happen for a few reasons. The first reason is that, the last time the CBA expired, the league spent cash like it was Monopoly money. In the month of November, teams spent a combined $1.7 billion in free agency. Six players—Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Max Scherzer, Robbie Ray, Kevin Gausman, and Javier Baez—signed contracts at $100 million or more prior to the lockout on December 2. Prior to 2021, only four players in the history of free agency had signed a nine-figure deal in November. It wasn’t just prominent free agent signings, either; we got trades, we got extensions, we got all sorts of stuff. The Boston Globe called it a “lockout frenzy.”

It’s likely that this year plays out the same way industry-wide because the scenario is really similar. The CBA ends one day earlier, but that’s about it. And if that’s the case, we could see a huge portion of players signed and traded.

The other reason why a fast November is probable for Kansas City is that the Royals are themselves chomping at the bit to get stuff in. General manager JJ Picollo held his standard press conference on the first game of the final homestand of the year, and I was there to hear his thoughts. Sure enough, he was asked about the offseason plan. And sure enough, his statement seemed to indicate that a fast-paced month is ready (emphasis mine):

November is the month where you have to get some work done. I am anxious to see how fast the industry works, but I know our plan is to push the envelope as much as we can because wewould much rather have some potential pieces to the puzzle in place before a potential lockout.

To Picollo’s credit, it will depend on how the league reacts. But I’m sure that the Royals aren’t the only ones thinking this way. And if they aren’t, buckle up.

Happy Friday everyone!

Today, the Milwaukee Brewers will hold their first World Series championship parade and celebration in downtown Milwaukee. After winning more games than any other team during the regular season, the Brewers stormed through the playoffs, losing just two games en route to a historic title.

Meanwhile, the American League champion Tampa Bay Rays fell short of winning their first World Series title in their third appearance this century. The Rays’ lineup lacked sufficient firepower, while the team’s bullpen faltered at the worst possible time.

With the postseason over, attention turns to the offseason. Left-hander Tarik Skubal headlines this winter’s free-agent class, while teams will look to make trades to bolster their rosters or reduce payroll. Much of the player movement could take place in November before the potential owner-imposed lockout begins on Dec. 1.

The Athletics kicked off the offseason transaction period, as new president of baseball operations Taylor Smith got right to work. Unsurprisingly, he made his first trade with his former employer.

The Boston Red Sox traded 29-year-old outfielder Nate Eaton to the A’s in exchange for 18-year-old Nicaraguan pitcher Jareth Rayo, who appeared in the Dominican Summer League this year. Eaton, who can play all three outfield spots as well as third base, hit .160 with a .560 OPS, one home run, two doubles and six RBIs in 24 games this season.

The jury is still out on his bat, but his 96th percentile sprint speed and 97th percentile arm strength could give him a leg up when competing for a reserve outfield spot. Because Eaton is out of options, either offensively challenged center fielder Denzel Clarke or defensively challenged Carlos Cortes may begin next season in Triple-A, depending on how the A’s roster shakes out.

Let’s welcome Eaton to the Athletics. If today was any indication, the next few weeks have the potential to be busy as Smith works to reshape the roster into one built to contend for the playoffs. What trade or free-agent signing would you like to see Smith make next?

A’s Coverage:

• A’s trade RHP prospect to Red Sox for outfielder Eaton
• A’S OUTRIGHT CATCHER BRIAN SERVEN, FIVE OTHERS
• Three A’s Officially Elect Free Agency
• Q&A: Smith discusses his new role as youngest head of baseball ops in MLB
• Optics vs. Infrastructure: Taylor Smith’s First Dilemma
• Athletics Hire Taylor Smith As Next President of Baseball Operations
• On New PBO Taylor Smith: What’s In A Number?
• A’s Considering Hiring GM Under Taylor Smith
• Trade Candidate: Shea Langeliers
• A’s Max Muncy Undergoes Knee Debridement
• The five biggest questions facing the A’s this offseason
• Inside the A’s State-of-the-Art Las Vegas Ballpark
• How technology will shape fan experiences at the A’s Las Vegas ballpark
• Pitching prospect Huggins growing his game with the help of this A’s Hall of Famer
• ’Be a sponge’: No. 19 prospect leads A’s Fall League group with do-it-all mentality
• A’s LHP prospect Richardson shows off health and resiliency during Fall League homecoming
• Zack Of All Trades Tries To Get One More Win: In Court
• Important Dates For The Athletics This Offseason
• 12 A’s Players Out of Options Heading Into 2027
• How MLB’s Proposed Changes Would Impact the A’s
• A’s part ways with assistant hitting, quality control coaches
• After an outfield collision left him paralyzed, every gain in rehab is a big win for A’s Ryan Lasko
• Why 2027 Athletics Will Be Completely Different Team
• 2026: Year Of The “Didn’t See That Coming!”
• A’s Hoping Luis Severino Chooses to Stay
• Where the A’s Plan to Use Zack Gelof in 2027
• Drafting The Top AL Graduated MLB Prospects From 2026
• Devin Taylor: Athletics 2026 Minor League Player Of The Year
• Athletics 2026 MLB Draft Report Card
• Henry Bolte Is the A’s Next Budding Star
• Determining Athletics’ Offensive MVP for the 2026 Season
• 2027 Infield Landscape Ever Changing
• Get the best of Athletics Nation on the new SB Nation app

MLB News & Interest:

• Mighty Brewers prove they’re an unbeatable crew, capture first World Series!
• Your guide to MLB’s coming lockout: Why it’s happening, whether games will be lost, and when baseball will be back
• King opts out of deal with Padres to become free agent (source)
• Bichette bypassing opt-out, returning to Mets for 2027 season (source)
• Tatsuya Imai Will Not Opt Out Of Astros Deal
• Mariners pick up Muñoz’s option; Robles becomes free agent
• Ryan Helsley To Exercise Player Option
• Diamondbacks expected to listen to Ketel Marte trade offers once again
• Way-Too-Early 2027 MLB Power Rankings: Who’s No. 1?
• Brewers’ William Contreras eighth catcher to earn World Series MVP honors
• Milwaukee Public Schools to close for Brewers’ championship parade
• These Brewers World Series artifacts are heading to the Hall of Fame
• How will the Giants resolve their 40-man roster predicament?
• Owner Mark Walter says he’ll keep Dodgers, ‘no matter what’
• Brewers’ Matt Kleine Is Astros’ Top Target In GM Search
• Super Two Status Set At 2.133 Years Of Service
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X

Check out the latest episode of Beyond the Dugout if you want to learn more about A’s left-hander Hogan Harris.

This is not a good look. Hopefully, Henry Baez and fellow right-hander Braden Nett deliver bounce-back seasons next year. Baez is the most intriguing prospect in this list, while right-hander Geoff Hartlieb and catcher Brian Serven saw the most major league playing time this past season.

Curious to hear the community’s thoughts on this tweet.

Ariel view of the Athletics’ under-construction stadium in Las Vegas.